Sarajevo, September 21, 2026 – The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association assesses that BHRT’s years-long financial and institutional crisis has reached its most critical point, after which the shutdown of the state public service as the most important pillar of the public information system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is becoming inevitable.
A month-long blockade of all BHRT accounts, as well as the decision to cancel two programmes due to a lack of funds for production and reporting by journalists from all parts of BiH, are the latest warning to the state institutions, primarily the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers of BiH, but also to the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and other international organisations, to finally assume responsibility and take serious action to save the public broadcasting system.
BH Journalists warned the Presidency of BiH, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers of BiH as early as the end of 2025 about the consequences of the financial and institutional blockade of BHRT, and unequivocally demanded measures to save it. The warning was also sent to the then High Representative Christian Schmidt, who did not want to stop the destruction of BHRT, although he had the authority to impose effective solutions for the collection of outstanding debts and the legally prescribed distribution of revenues from the broadcasting fee.
The BH Journalists Steering Committee considers the conduct of the current executive and legislative authorities of BiH unacceptable. They have apparently imposed a moratorium on their own work during the pre-election campaign period, completely ignoring the agony of BHRT and its employees. In doing so, they have once again demonstrated their irresponsibility not only towards one media outlet, but also towards all citizens of BiH and their right to public information.
BH Journalists remind the public: the shutdown of BHRT would not mean the shutdown of just one television and one radio programme; it would undermine the entire public broadcasting system consisting of BHRT, RTVFBiH and RTRS, as well as their ability to provide functional, pluralistic and publicly accountable information to citizens. At the same time, the shutdown of BHRT would mean the loss of an important segment of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s media landscape, in which citizens have the right to timely, accurate and impartial information on matters of public interest, while BiH would become the only country in the Western Balkans without a state-level public media service.
BH Journalists are particularly concerned about the current position of employees and the future of more than 700 journalists, editors, producers, camera operators, technicians and other media professionals, who could very easily find themselves without jobs as early as tomorrow and become collateral damage of years of institutional blockades, political arrogance and the publicly demonstrated irresponsibility of BiH authorities towards the employees and the media outlet they founded.
Along with its solidarity and support for BHRT employees and their years-long struggle to preserve this media outlet, the BH Journalists Steering Committee firmly demands that the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers of BiH, as well as the Office of the High Representative:
- urgently resolve the blockade of BHRT’s accounts in order to create basic working conditions and halt the reduction in the scope of its programming;
- ensure the collection and distribution of revenues from the broadcasting fee in accordance with the law and final court decisions;
- establish the responsibility of the competent institutions and individuals for the years-long failure to implement legal obligations towards BHRT and the failure to take timely measures to prevent its financial collapse;
- establish a stable, transparent and independent financing model for public broadcasting services in BiH that will not allow political and institutional blockades;
- urgently involve the international community, particularly the OHR and the PIC, in finding a solution for the lawful functioning of the Public Broadcasting System in BiH.
BH Journalists are no longer calling for new promises, announcements and expressions of concern, but for accountability, decisions and effective solutions!
Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association
